Raasay Distillery Tour

After Ally’s last Munro on Skye Cornel went home and the rest of us had a pleasant and relaxing week. Cat had arranged a distillery tour on Raasay, so that we could see the boys’ joint present from us (for their 30th birthdays) of a barrel of whisky, peat smoked in a Rye barrel. It was James' idea and the boys are all thrilled. The tour was very impressive as was the distillery; very clean and new with its tasting room in a gazebo so that it meets Covid restrictions. We went to the warehouses to see the Anderson barrel but it was still up high on top of a stack of barrels, it hadn’t been brought down for us. This actually didn’t bother us at all - we could see it fine and anyway we are planning another tour of the distillery when Jamie is finally allowed to visit Scotland again. However the tour guide, whose job title is in fact “ambassador” was so dismayed by the mistake that he gave us not one but two bottles of whisky as an apology! Plus we were given our tasting glasses to take home an a couple of small sample bottles of a whisky similar to ours. Raasay itself is a very attractive, quiet island just twenty minutes from Skye by a small ferry; I would like to visit it again and maybe take our bikes to go cycling there. 

We then travelled to Ullapool for the next few days, where I swam in the estuary with David and Chanel. It was the first time this year that I have swum there, although I have swum outdoors in several other locations in 2021; Ardmair, Achnahaird, the River Windrush, the River Thames, and of course the Fairy Pools on Skye. I’m not sure if the outdoor pool at the David Lloyd Centre counts! As it happens that’s where I am now, blogging after my 1 km swim.